efrs statement - radiography education in europe.pdf
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7/29/2019 EFRS Statement - Radiography Education in Europe.pdf
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2012.1 EFRS Statement onRADIOGRAPHY EDUCATION IN EUROPE
www.efrs.eu
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2012.1 EFRS Statement on Radiography Education in Europe
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF RADIOGRAPHER SOCIETIES
INTRODUCTION“Radiography involves the safe
use of ionising and non-ionising
radiation to achieve a diagnostic
or therapeutic health gain. Ra-diographers require an ability to
interpret and effectively execute
information referred from other
health care professionals, in order
to maximise health gain whilst
minimising radiation dose to the
patient. The profession of radi-
ography is unique in that all of
its practitioners accept individualresponsibility for minimising the
radiation dose to both individual
patients and the genetic inheri-
tance of the public at large” [1].
The radiographer is a healthcare
team member who interacts with
other professionals in the primary
and secondary healthcare environ-
ment to provide an optimum di-agnostic or therapeutic outcome.
Radiographer education there-
fore requires that the curriculum
covers a wide range of scientific,
medical, pathological, sociologi-
cal, ethical and technical subjects
together with the development
of appropriate clinical skills. The
curriculum should also includethe development of research and
audit skills to ensure the constant
improvement of service quality
for the benefit of service users.•
THE RADIOGRAPHERIt is expected that the radiographer will have
professional autonomy and accountability,
develop good professional relationships, de-
velop personal and professional skills anddemonstrate an ethical and knowledgeable
understanding of the profession. It is also ex-
pected that the application of radiographic
and radio therapeutic practice in securing,
maintaining or improving health and well-be-
ing; the development of knowledge, under-
standing and skills that underpin their edu-
cation and training will contribute to future
health and wellbeing of the patient. It is con-
sidered vital that professional advancement
arises out of evidence-based practice and is
informed through focused research.
Radiographers are able to plan, organize, ap-
ply and evaluate their work process with the
aims of promoting health, preventing disease,
making the diagnosis and/or treating diseas-
es. Radiographers practise within an ethical
and legal framework. A key part of the ra-
diographer’s role is to manage complex inter-
personal dynamics, and to act as an advocate
for the individual patient. Radiographers are
the interface between the patient technolo-
gy.
Team work is a notable feature of practice in
both inter-professional and intra-disciplinary
frameworks with individual and autonomous
practice being a significant feature of the ra-diographer [2].•
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2012.1 EFRS Statement on Radiography Education in Europe
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF RADIOGRAPHER SOCIETIES
Across Europe, according to the EFRS 2011 survey, 90% of respondents indicated
that in their country a radiographer undertakes education within the Higher Ed-
ucation sector at Bologna 1st cycle bachelor level. Variations in the nature, cov-
erage and length of bachelor programmes across individual European countries
see radiography graduates emerging with either separate or combined imaging
and radiotherapy competencies [3].
Radiography education in Europe is also seen to still take place in a small number
of countries within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, often
in close collaboration with the hospital sector, with the radiographer emerging
with a professional diploma.
Worryingly, there are also a few countries in Europe where individuals carrying
out radiography undertake limited or non formal training in imaging or therapy
techniques.
The content, level and duration of national education programmes depend very
much on the status of the radiography profession in the individual country with
national professional/governmental/legislative registration being a requirement
for practice in some countries. This system is designed to protect the interests of
the service user with the title of radiographer being legally protected in many
countries.
The radiography profession is typically governed by national Ministries respon-
sible for Education and for Health. Furthermore, the radiography profession is
regulated by the Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the recognition of professional qualifications; member states retain-
ing the right to lay down the minimum level of qualification required to ensure
the quality of the services provided on their territory.•
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2012.1 EFRS Statement on Radiography Education in Europe
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF RADIOGRAPHER SOCIETIES
The original HENRE1 project, which
now forms the educational wing of
the EFRS, developed radiography-fo-
cussed generic and specific compe-
tences at Bachelor level and produced
a Tuning2 template for radiography
1st cycle degrees in Europe [2].
Programmes of radiography educa-
tion should be cognizant of the im-
portance of equipping radiographers
with those subject specific and gener-
ic competencies which will provide
an optimum service to support local,
national and international needs with
the health and well being of the pa-
tient being paramount.
The radiography Tuning template has
been influential in this present docu-
ment.•
Qualifications frameworks describethe qualifications of an education sys-tem and how they interlink. Unlikecertain other countries, developmentin Europe focuses on comprehensiveNational Qualifications Frameworks(NQFs), including qualifications award-ed in general education, VET, HE andadult learning [4].
NQFs are being developed or havebeen developed in 28 European coun-tries covering all types and levels ofqualifications and increasingly coun-tries see the qualifications frameworkfor higher education (QF-EHEA) as anintegrated part of their comprehen-sive NQFs and have decided to carryout the referencing to the EQF andthe self-certification to the QF-EHEAin one go [4].
The EQF is fully compatible with theQF-EHEA. Specifically, the EQF descrip-tors3 at levels 5-8 refer to the higher
education descriptors agreed underthe Bologna process.
The formulation of the EQF level de-scriptors differs from the Bologna lev-el descriptors because as a lifelonglearning framework the EQF also en-compasses vocational education andtraining (VET) and work contexts, in-cluding at the highest level.
In order for countries to make com-parison of radiography qualificationseasier, the EFRS is in the process ofdeveloping radiography learning out-comes at EQF level 6. It is expectedthat national radiographer societieswill use these learning outcomes intheir negotiations with the appropri-ate Ministries in order to put forwarda case for radiography education atthe Higher Education level, where thisdoes not yet exist, and that a pan Eu-ropean standard for radiography ed-ucation be achieved in the long run.•
1 Higher Education Network for Radiography in Europe.
2 Tuning Educational Structures in Europe, an EU funded life long learning programme, developed a methodology to design anddeliver degree programmes using a learning outcomes and competence framework approach linked to ECTS credits.
3 Developed specically for Higher Education needs.
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2012.1 EFRS Statement on Radiography Education in Europe
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF RADIOGRAPHER SOCIETIES
The EFRS Board recommends:
• That all European countries accept that pre registration radiographyeducation courses be at 1st cycle Bologna/bachelor level
• Radiography qualification to be at appropriate NQF level referenced toQF-EHEA level 6 and corresponding to EQF level 6
• Total course duration: 180 ECTS or 210 ECTS or 240 ECTS (1 ECTS = 25-30study hours).
• Clinical placement to be 25% minimum of course duration
• Qualifications initially obtained as corresponding to EQF level 5/QF-EHEAlevel 5 should enable through a LLL approach to achieve level 6 in bothframeworks
• Those generic and subject specific learning outcomes outlined throughthe Tuning and EFRS EQF publications be reflected in radiography coursedocumentation alongside national benchmarks should these exist
These recommendations are addressed to organizations in Europe with a vest-ed interest in the development of the radiography profession to ensure thecontinued development and improvement of the service for the benefit of thepatient.
[1] Challen V (ed) 2008 Radiography Tuning Template: an overview, http://www.unideusto.org/ tuningeu/images/stories/Summary_of_outcomes_TN/Overview_of_the_Tuning_Template_for_Radiography_in_Europe.pdf
[2] Cedefop 2012 Development of NQFs in Europe; Working Paper 12 Luxembourg: PublicationsOffice of the EU, http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/6112_en.pdf
[3] EFRS education survey 2010 and 2012, www.efrs.eu
[4] Overarching European Qualifications Frameworks, http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeron-
derwijs/bologna/qf/overarching.asp